Like many, I’ve been in a post-holiday slump. Endless days of cooking, baking and eating rich, heavy dishes have left me apathetic about food. Want lunch? Pour some milk over a bowl of Cheerios and dig in. Yeah, I’ve felt that uninspired.

Since I can’t live on dry, oat cereal alone, I’ve turned to a delicate dish favored by my husband’s Vietnamese step-father, pho. Part soup, part entree, this Vietnamese specialty boasts of clean flavors, fresh ingredients and satisfying portions. Pho’s wholesome simplicity and ease of preparation make it a wonderful antidote to the food funk into which I’ve slipped.

Pho begins with a clear stock made from beef, chicken or pork, water and a bouquet garni. Cooks pour the heated stock into bowls filled with blanched rice noodles, strips of meat or fish and sliced spring onions. To this they may add mint, cilantro, bean sprouts and/or chilis. To add a little zing, they may serve pho with a splash of lime juice or fish sauce or dab of chili paste. Appetizing and light, it’s a surprisingly filling dish. I can last for hours, sans snacks, on a single bowl of pho. Pretty much a miracle for a grazer like me.

Traveling through South Vietnam two winters ago, I ate pho at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Although considered street food, it was served by home cooks and featured in sit-down restaurants. Any time that I felt hungry, I could count on finding a steaming bowl of pho. Its uncomplicated nature, delicious flavor and wide availability made it an easy and obvious meal.

Fresh and restorative, pho has pulled me out of my seasonal stupor. Perhaps it will do the same for you. Why not put down that box of dull cereal and cook up a fortifying pot of pho?

CHICKEN PHO
Serves 8

Fight the urge to use store-bought chicken broth and make your own for this dish. The quality and flavor of homemade is vastly superior to commercial stock and will result in a tastier pho.

For the stock:
5 quarts water
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
6 cloves garlic, smashed
3-inch piece of fresh ginger, smashed
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
2 large white onions, peeled and halved
2 stalks celery, halved
1 (31/2- to 4-pound) whole chicken, quartered
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons salt
1/2 cup fish sauce, divided

For the pho:
3 pounds flat rice noodles
4 spring onions, whites and 1-inch of greens sliced
2 cups bean sprouts
1/2 bunch fresh mint, roughly chopped
1 bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
2 serrano or Thai/bird’s eye chilies, sliced, optional
2 limes, cut into wedges, for serving
fish sauce, for serving
Tabasco sauce, for serving

Place the water in a large stockpot and bring to a boil over high heat. As the water is heating, place the peppercorns, garlic, ginger and cilantro in a square of cheesecloth. Fold the cloth into an envelope and then tie off to close. (You can also use a large spice ball for your bouquet garni.)

Lower the bouquet garni, onions, celery and chicken into the boiling water. Cook, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, skimming off any impurities. Once the chicken has cooked completely, remove and place it on a cutting board. Using a chef’s or carving knife, remove the skin and bones from the chicken and return them to the stockpot. Allow the meat to cool before slicing into 2-inch strips, covering and refrigerating for later use.

Reduce the heat on the stockpot to medium-low and add the sugar, salt and half of the fish sauce. Cover and allow to simmer for 2 hours or until the stock has reduced by half. Taste and add the remaining fish sauce if needed.

Strain the stock through a cheesecloth-lined, fine mesh strainer or chinois and into a clean stockpot. Place the stockpot on a burner over low heat and cover to keep warm.

Bring a large saucepan filled with water to a boil over high heat. Add 6 to 7 ounces of rice noodles and cook for 20 to 30 seconds. Remove the noodles, drain and place them in a large soup bowl. Repeat with the remaining noodles, distributing them into 7 additional soup bowls.

Lay equal amounts of cooked chicken, green onions and bean sprouts on top of each mound of noodles. Pour hot stock over the ingredients, covering completely. Garnish the pho with mint and cilantro and optional chilies. Serve with little bowls of fish sauce, lime wedges and Tabasco.